Since the release of their 2017 album, Concrete and Gold Foo Fighters have stayed prominent in the music industry – and they’re back again…
from playing their music across the world on their ninth concert tour to headlining Reading and Leeds festival 2019, and even featuring on BBC Radio 1 to cover their song Times Like These with other influential pop/rock artists during lockdown. With 2020 marking twenty-five years of Foo Fighters, the band released the new single Shame Shame in anticipation for their 10th studio album, Medicine At Midnight.
When discussing the single in an interview with Radio X, lead singer Dave Grohl admitted: “It’s unlike anything we’ve ever done”. This is evident as the song begins with a striking isolated drum beat, followed by stabs of acoustic guitar chords that contrast to Foo’s usual distorted electric guitar style. The song is also overdubbed with sharp claps and snapping fingers which thicken the texture and compliment the drum beat. Already in the first twenty seconds, it’s clear that Foo Fighters are taking a more experimental approach to their new album and trying out different techniques that set the single apart from their previous discography.
The first verse presents a simple vocal, which is off-beat, scattered between the hits of the drum. This creates a strange interrupted flow, however, the technique compliments the acoustic guitar. Following this, the chorus begins with the lyrics “another splinter under the skin, another season of loneliness”. When interviewed, Grohl mentioned, “Another thing we haven’t done before is open up our album with something really heavy and dark/ it turned into something really powerful.”
It’s an interesting choice for the Foo to release a debut single that has a sombre tone, however, it may resonate with many listeners due to the difficult circumstances of this year. Shame Shame could also be perceived as hopeful, as there is a distinctive shift when a rich cello melody is added, tying the song together in harmony with Grohl’s vocals and contributing a beautiful alternative to Foo’s guitar-heavy style.
Despite the song’s length of four-minutes-seventeen-seconds, the simplicity causes it to fly by. However, the structure could be seen as too repetitive, especially with the string of “shame[s]” in the lyrics that recur throughout the track. The verses are also limited and the lyrics provide a very loose narrative but ultimately they stay true to the title Shame Shame with the dark, brooding tone.
Overall, Shame Shame is a refreshing new release from Foo Fighters and a strong lead single, promising more quality music to come from the new album and proves that after twenty-five years, they still have quality music to offer.
Rating: 8/10
By Helen Barber
Feature Image Credit: Roswell Records